Prieto’s No Liquid Electrolyte Battery:

Advances in battery energy and safety are critical, as lower priced energy storage is going to be an increasingly significant  part of our energy delivery systems. Already, the price for a kilowatt hour of electric cars has been reduced significantly (currently somewhere near 145/kw)- however, for such transportation to truly become mainstream, those costs must fall to far less than half that.

One new approach to solving the affordability issue is the concept of  “3D” batteries. One such 3D device features a set of new concepts from startup Prieto Battery. Power generated can be stored throughout the medium.  Additionally, the battery has no conventional liquid electrolyte – which makes for a much safer battery with little to no hazardous waste at the end of its life cycle.

The chemistry of the battery itself is quite innovative- featuring both higher capacities and faster recharge times (perhaps the holy grail of advanced battery research).

Technology Review has posted an excellent overview of this promising technology from Prieto.